Newlywed business La Placa Italian Cuisine is the result of a recent union between the former Bedda Mia and La Placa Family Bakery.
Manager Debora La Placa says she learned the ropes of the restaurant industry little by little while working alongside her father, bakery owner Leonardo La Placa, who has also owned several other eateries and coffee shops both here and abroad.
La Placa’s restaurant side serves authentic Sicilian cuisine, paired with the bakery side that she manages. She describes their new shared space in Scotts Valley as clean and modern with simple elegance. Among the bakery’s offerings, she highlights amaretti, traditional, pleasantly chewy Sicilian almond cookies with honey and lemon zest.
Other authentic popular picks are Bomboloni, an Italian-style doughnut filled with Nutella or ricotta, and Sfogliatella with flaky, crispy layers of puff pastry filled with ricotta and orange. They also have thin-crust pizza (gluten-free crust available) with imported prosciutto and salami as well as fresh local vegetables. Imported Italian gelato also pleases the crowd, with favorite flavors being dark chocolate, mint chip and cookie batter, and beverages include high-end espresso and specialty coffees.
How does La Placa embody Italian culture?
DEBORA LA PLACA: We are really proud to be Sicilian; people from southern Italy like us tend to be very warm, generous and welcoming. Food is definitely a big part of our culture. It is a bonding experience for us and is literally an act of caring. When you eat delicious food made with love, you really feel good. It’s a true comfort, which we all really need nowadays. To be able to create this experience for our guests means the world to us.
Tell me about combining with Bedda Mia.
It is a dream come true for our family. We are basically making a fusion with our bakery and their restaurant, guests will have the choice to either sit down on the Bedda Mia side for full service and/or stop by our side for a grab-and-go item from the bakery. My dad is a great chef and baker, starting from age 12 and he is 60 now, and he has always wanted a place where guests can get everything – whether it’s a full meal or simply a pastry and a coffee.
219 Mount Hermon Road Suite F, Scotts Valley, 831-609-6552; laplacaitaliancuisine.com
